Manner of combining apparatus foe disengaging houses from carriages



2,839. PATENTED NOV. 4, 1842.

J. HARLAGHER.

MANNER 0F COMBINING AN APPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING HORSES FROM GARRIAGES AND OF A DRAG FOE ARRBSTING THE MOTION THEREOF.

. with one for arresting themotion of the JACOB HARLAOHER, 0F LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANNER OF COMBINING AIPARATUS FOR DISENGAGING HORSES FROM GAERIAGES AND OF DRAGS FOR ARRESTING THE MOTION THEREOF. I

Specification of Letters Patent No. 2,839, dated November 4, 1842.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J ACOB HARLACHER, of

State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful manner of combining an appa ratus for disengaging horses from'carriages carriages by means ofa drag, andI do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

For the purpose of disengaging the horse, or horses, in case of their running away, so connect a strap or line, with two spring bolts by the outer end *of which the traces are held, as that the driver, by drawing upon said strap or line, may retract the bolts, and

- liberate the horse, or horses from the shaft and may also raise'and hold up the shafts so as to prevent their falling and coming into contact with the ground. For the purpose of arresting the motion of the carriage, I

place a lever along the perch of the carriage, which lever is so constructed that its rear end shall form a forked drag, which may be brought into contact with the ground by drawing upon the opposite end of the said strap, or line, or of a separate, strap or line attached thereto. V

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a plan, or top view of a perch,'foot' board, and'swingle tree, the latter having the disengaging apparatus attachedthereto. Fig. 2, is a side view of the same, showing the manner of attaching and operating the drag lever.. q

A is the footboard of the driver; B, the swingle tree; and C, the perch.

The body of the carriage, the shafts, axles, wheels, and other parts are not represented 40.

as they are not necessary to the explanation of the improvements made by me.

, D, is a strap, which passes through an opening in the board'A; and which when di viding into two parts 6, b,'-passes around fThecombining with friction rollers E E on the swingle tree B, and

- has its ends attached tospring bolts F F.

' The outer ends F", F, of these bolts hold the rear ends of thetraces, and when they are retracted by drawing uponthe strapD,the horse will be liberated. The spiral springs which surround the bolts F F, serve to keep 7 them up to their bearings when not forcibly V drawn back. The swingle tree beingvattachecl by its middle to the shafts ;,the same force which retracts the bolt-s1 will by its being continued, also "serve to raise the shafts and may be made, to rin them into a vertical position.

e s, Fig. 2, is the dra lever, which-is ordinarily held in the position represented, in contact with the perch, by the latch hook G, to-which the strap D, is -attached. The

end G of this lever should be forked, as I" shown in Fig. 3. By

strap D, the hook G will be liberated from its catch a, and the lever G, turning on'its drawing upon the fulcrum H, will have its forked .end Grf brought into contact with the ground, j f I against which it may be ma de to' bear with I I This position of; I

a degree of. force proportioned to that exerted on the .strap D. the lever is representedby the dotted lines.

I. am aware that horses have been disen- 'gagedfrom carriages in a manner nearly resembling that above described, but 1n some cases the swingle tree has remained attached to the tracesto the great danger of the horse; i

the shaftshave likewise been allowed to fall down and consequently to endanger thede- 'struction of the carriage andthe'safety of But the most imminent. peril. .has been from the ungoverned momentum the rider.

of the carriage; and this Ifeifectually ob viate by combiningmy drag lever with the 1 disengaging apparatus in such manner as that the drag shall take hold, of the ground at the rear part of the carriage, and be made to bear thereon'with a degree 'of force pro- 7 portioned to that exerted by, and under the command of the driver. I do not, therefore, claim the disengaging of 'the horse, .01 horses, from a carriage, in "the manner v- I hereinset forth, when uncombined with a 3 lever drag for arresting the motion of a. carriage; but 7 V I do claimarranged and operatingher'ein'set forth.

' Witnesses;

THos. P. JONES, DQHEISTANDQ such disengaging apparatus, the lever drag audits appendages, 5 v I substantially as JACOB HARLACHER. l i 

